Did you know that Wi-Fi is ridiculously expensive on a cruise ship?
Did you know that I'm addicted enough to the internet to pay ridiculously high prices to use it on a cruise ship?
I've been in internet withdrawal for the past few days, partly because of the cost and partly because my Mom is with me every waking minute of every day. My Mom has finally headed off to a bar, leaving me with a few precious minutes of quiet time, so I'm getting caught up a bit on the online world. I love my Mom...but I really don't need to be with her 24 hours a day.
So that this doesn't bankrupt me, I'll just give a quick overview of my first 48 hours on the cruise ship. All of the time has been spent at sea so far, with our first port stop in Falmouth, Jamaica tomorrow morning. I'm excited to be getting off the ship and exploring the outside world again, as my camera has been feeling a bit bored since coming on the cruise.
The Good:
1) Food: We have a formal dining room, a cafeteria-style area, a 24-hour-a-day cafe, and room service, all of which serve very tasty food. I have never been so continuously stuffed in my entire life. I had to skip an entree at supper tonight, because there just wasn't another inch of space in my stomach.
2) Sleep: I slept nine hours last night, and then had a mid-afternoon nap today. It feels fabulous.
3) Reading: I really have no interest in the casino, Bingo games, shopping seminars, evening shows, or other forms of entertainment on the ship, but two almost uninterrupted days to lounge around with a book? Heaven! I've finished the Hunger Games (Why didn't I buy the sequels too?) and am approaching the end of My Life in Paris, and I'm loving it.
4) The Balcony: My Mom convinced me to splurge on a room with a balcony, and although I thought it was a waste, I'm so glad we did. It's been lovely to sit in a deck chair, basking in the sun and watching the ocean go by. And the fact that it's a private space helps me deal with not-as-good item #2.
The Not-as-Good:
1) My poor math skills: Somehow, early in our trip planning process, my Mom and I got the idea in our heads that our cruise ends on Friday. We planned everything around this notion – hotel bookings, flights home, list of things to do in New Orleans – and it wasn’t until we got on the cruise and looked closely at our cruise itinerary that we realized that our cruise actually ends on Saturday. (/insert sound of palm hitting forehead) Suddenly my three short days in New Orleans have been reduced to two short days in New Orleans, and I’m forced to cull even more items from my already condensed list of New Orleans activities. Needless to say, I’m just a wee bit annoyed with myself for not being able to read a calendar correctly.
2) People: There are people everywhere - in the restaurants, in the shops, in the pools, in the elevators - and it's more than my introverted self can handle. I'm so thankful to have our own private space to retreat to when I get tired of being around others. Which is often.
Anyway...tomorrow is Jamaica day! I'm excited about dusting off my camera and getting some shots of historical Falmouth, although they won't likely get posted until I'm off the boat given that I'm not made of money.
Did you know that I'm addicted enough to the internet to pay ridiculously high prices to use it on a cruise ship?
I've been in internet withdrawal for the past few days, partly because of the cost and partly because my Mom is with me every waking minute of every day. My Mom has finally headed off to a bar, leaving me with a few precious minutes of quiet time, so I'm getting caught up a bit on the online world. I love my Mom...but I really don't need to be with her 24 hours a day.
So that this doesn't bankrupt me, I'll just give a quick overview of my first 48 hours on the cruise ship. All of the time has been spent at sea so far, with our first port stop in Falmouth, Jamaica tomorrow morning. I'm excited to be getting off the ship and exploring the outside world again, as my camera has been feeling a bit bored since coming on the cruise.
The Good:
1) Food: We have a formal dining room, a cafeteria-style area, a 24-hour-a-day cafe, and room service, all of which serve very tasty food. I have never been so continuously stuffed in my entire life. I had to skip an entree at supper tonight, because there just wasn't another inch of space in my stomach.
2) Sleep: I slept nine hours last night, and then had a mid-afternoon nap today. It feels fabulous.
3) Reading: I really have no interest in the casino, Bingo games, shopping seminars, evening shows, or other forms of entertainment on the ship, but two almost uninterrupted days to lounge around with a book? Heaven! I've finished the Hunger Games (Why didn't I buy the sequels too?) and am approaching the end of My Life in Paris, and I'm loving it.
4) The Balcony: My Mom convinced me to splurge on a room with a balcony, and although I thought it was a waste, I'm so glad we did. It's been lovely to sit in a deck chair, basking in the sun and watching the ocean go by. And the fact that it's a private space helps me deal with not-as-good item #2.
The Not-as-Good:
1) My poor math skills: Somehow, early in our trip planning process, my Mom and I got the idea in our heads that our cruise ends on Friday. We planned everything around this notion – hotel bookings, flights home, list of things to do in New Orleans – and it wasn’t until we got on the cruise and looked closely at our cruise itinerary that we realized that our cruise actually ends on Saturday. (/insert sound of palm hitting forehead) Suddenly my three short days in New Orleans have been reduced to two short days in New Orleans, and I’m forced to cull even more items from my already condensed list of New Orleans activities. Needless to say, I’m just a wee bit annoyed with myself for not being able to read a calendar correctly.
2) People: There are people everywhere - in the restaurants, in the shops, in the pools, in the elevators - and it's more than my introverted self can handle. I'm so thankful to have our own private space to retreat to when I get tired of being around others. Which is often.
Anyway...tomorrow is Jamaica day! I'm excited about dusting off my camera and getting some shots of historical Falmouth, although they won't likely get posted until I'm off the boat given that I'm not made of money.
4 comments:
Sounds awesome! Your trip has me trying to convince the GF that we need to take a cruise.
Sounds amazing! I just read the Hunger Games and the 2nd book Catching Fire last month. Now I'm on the third book, but I haven't been reading it as fast.
I am totally with you about all people all the time....I don't think I could handle that either.
Hope you are having fun in Jamaica!
Some hotels also really stick it to you for the WiFi--highway (or ocean?) robbery.
It must be a common introvert's problem to run out of books. I remember a desperate search in a Los Angeles Target not too long ago. But that balcony sounds awesome. I'm sorry you have only those two days in New Orleans, but I hope you enjoy those and your extra cruise day.
Rick - There are a lot of good things to be said for cruises, although I don't think I'd go on one again. It isn't quite my type of trip, as fun as it's been.
Lez - I can't wait to read Catching Fire. I'm hoping I can find it before I leave New Orleans, as the flight home is long and the perfect opportunity for reading.
Kate - I'm utterly dependent on books to keep me happy in some situations, like cruises. I'm thankful that I brought a good selection and that I managed to find another good one in the cruise ship library...enough to get me through the next 36 hours!
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